North Jersey Notes: Tourmaline, Kindred Souls, Long Gone Day & The Love Sexy

I was recently reached on Facebook by the manager of a Verona, NJ band called Tourmaline asking me to check the band out. Last time that I checked, Verona is in North Jersey, so why not give Tourmaline a listen? Upon logging onto their website, tourmalinemusic.com, I was able to listen to the very catchy “Save Me”, the mellow “Lions”, and my favorite track “Fat Pig”, which are featured on the bands recently released EP, Save Me. Tourmalinesinger Matt Rauch sounds amazing on these tracks and the songs are very well-written. I especially like the bass groove at the beginning of “Fat Pig”. These guys are a rock band! There’s no other way to describe them.

Tourmaline formed in June of 2004. A year after their formation, the band released their first CD, Strange Distress Calls that sold over five thousand copies and received much acclaim from critics in the punk community. In March of 2008, the band released their second CD, The Swindle, which was produced by Grammy Award winning producer Joe McGrath, who’s known for his work with Green Day, Bryan Adams, and Morrissey. Tourmalineis made up of singer/guitarist Matt Rauch, bassist Zach Inkley, synthesizer/piano player Corey Zaloom, lead guitarist Ryan Baredes, and drummer Rob Pratola.

Tourmaline recently released their latest EP, Save Me, which can be downloaded on the band’s myspace page, myspace.com/tourmaline or the band’s website, tourmalinemusic.com. If you want to find out where Tourmaline is playing next, just click the ‘shows’ button on their website. From the sound of their music, their live show should be pretty interesting!

NORTH JERSEY NOTES UPDATES:

The gang from Kindred Souls is heading back into the studio to record their upcoming CD, The Whole Enchilada. If you’ve been to a recent Kindred Souls show, you might’ve heard some of the songs that will be featured on the CD.

My bro, Anthony “The Main Vein” Coviello and his Long Gone Day cohorts have finally released their new EP, Round 3, available now on iTunes for $3! That’s right! I said $3! It’s a 3-song EP featuring the songs “Wide Open”, “Track 02”, and “Plural for Rhinoceros”. That’s $1 per song! In other Long Gone Day news, the boys will be opening for the legendary Corrosion of Conformity minus Pepper Keenan, who’s now playing with Down, at The Starland Ballroom in Sayreville, NJ on Thursday, October 7. For more on Long Gone Day, log onto longgoneday.com.

And finally, John Vargas, a name which has been synonymous with the North Jersey music scene because of The Love Sexy in Hoboken, NJ, has brought the legendary Hoboken haunt back to the home of Frank Sinatra. That’s right! The Love Sexy is back in its original spot on Hudson Street right next to the police station! Since leaving the Hoboken spot, I’ve seen John try to keep The Love Sexy name alive at different venues in NYC, Secaucus, Jersey City, and even at another spot in Hoboken. Well, he’s back in the original spot and on Sept. 25, you can catch The Murder League All-Stars featuring Tim McMurtrie from M.O.D., and on October 16, Sik Twisted Smile, featuring yours truly, and Piston Driven featuring Joe Wilkinson from Dropbox. If you’re in a band and want to play The Love Sexy in Hoboken, NJ, email John Vargas at vinvarg1@aol.com or just log onto the club’s website, love-sexy.com.

That’s all for now! If your band is from North Jersey, and you want some exposure, send your press kits to Arts Weekly, c/o Tim Louie P.O. Box 1140 Little Falls, NJ 07424, or you can email me at chigger273@aol.com where you can also let me know where you’re performing next. No cover bands, please! Also, if you haven’t checked out my podcast yet, do it now at northjerseynotes.mypodcast.com!

Just remember….We is all in the same boat, so every little bit of exposure counts!